cochran



' 2 Sheets--Sheet l.

J. W; COCHRAN. BRBBCH LOADING FIRBARM.

No. 75,627. Patented Mar. 17. 1868.

2 sheetsshee 2.

N. A Dn... .H C O .C W. J.

BRBECH LOADINGv FIREARM.

Patented Mar. 1'7

Z 72 afn/far J. -WEBSTER COCHRAN, 0F NEWl YORKpN'.

Laim Patent No. 75,627, dared nimh 17, 186s.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREFGH-LOADING lEIRE- Ali.lll[S.A

dip Stigehnlt reftmh tu im there ettrni intent mit making 11n-rt nf itssaint.

'lO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, J. WEBSTER COCHRAN, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBreach-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tethe accompanying drawings, making a portion of this specification, inwhich i Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of a firearm constructedaccording to my invention, showing the' same with the recoil-bolt inposition to close the breech.

Figure i is a'plan view ofthe same with the recoil-boit in acorresponding position.

Figure 3 is u detached view ofthe recoil-bolt and iiring-pin ofthe same.I

Figure 4 is a transverse section ofthe same, taken inthe line z z offig. l.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of thevsame, taken in the' line z z oflig. 1.A

Figure 5* is a transverse section of the same, taken in the li'ne'w w ofiig. 1.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the arm, showing the same with therecoil-bolt in position to open or unclose the breech. I v

Figure 7 is a plan vicw of the same with the reooil-bolt in the sameposition.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section, showing certain features of theinvention as employed in the conversion of muzzle-loading arms intobreech-loaders.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken at right angles tog'. 8.

Figure 10 is a. transverse section of the same, taken in the line, y yof figs. 9 and 10.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

This invention relates more especially to that class of breech-loading{ire-arms in whichthebreech is closed by a bolt, which has a slidingmovement in the line of the bore for opening and closing, and a movementaboutv its axis-fer the purpose of locking and unlocking it, provisionbeing made for inserting the cartridges through an aperture of justsuiicient size in the barrel or breech-receiver, when the bolt-is drawnback to a suitable position, and the tiring of the cartridges beingprovided for by a pin passing through the said bolt, and struck by ahammer in rear thereof.

The invention consists in a novel combination, with such a recoil-bolt,of a cover for covering up the aforesaid 'aperture in the barrel orbreech-receiver when the bolt is closed and locked, and which is alsomade to serve, in part, as a'means of locking the bolt. It also consistsin a. certain construction of the tiring-pin and the hammer, whereby thepossibility of zring rthe cartridge prematurely, or before therecoil-bolt is closed and locked, is eti'ectually prevented, butwhereby, at the same time, provision is ador-ded for the firing-pin topass the hammer when it is drawn back with the bolt in opening thebreech. It also consists in an improvement v upon the cartridge-shellejector, which is the subject of my Letters Patent,dated February 20,1866, whereby its eicieney is increased.

To enable others skilled in the artto |make and use my. invention, Iwill proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings. i

The barrel A has provided at its rearmost end a breech-receiver, B C,continuous with the bore thereof, and having screwed-upon it alockframe, D, as shown more fully in figs'. 1 and 6, the said partebeing secured to the stock E in any suitable manner. The forwardportion, B, of the breech-receiver B C, basa longitudinal opening, a,provided in its upper side, through which the cartridge is placed in thesaid receiver in loading the arm. The opening aforesaid has its forwardor main portion of such width as te readily admit the bodyof thecartridge, but not the tlanch orrim thereof, the said rim being designedto pass down through the widened or enlarged rear portion a oftheopening, in order that it may necessarily be brought in proper relationwith'the shell-extractor, as hereinafter further set forth.. The back orrear portion C ofthe breech-receiver is provided internally withlongitudinal ribs, b, between which are an equal number of grooves, c,and the forward ends, b,

of which formlllat shoulders, situated at right angles to the bore ofthe barrel. The recoil-holt is shown at F,

and consists oF a cylindrical piece of metal, of such size that it maypass freely between the internal ribs just mentioned, :ind furnished atits rearmost end with radial lugs, d, corresponding in number with theribs b of the breech-receiver, and so shaped that when thereeoil-bolt,.by being turned upon the hngitudinal axis within theforward portieri of the breech-receiver, is brought withthe lugs d infront of the rios b, the said ribswill` serve as solid butments behindthe lugs, the breech being closed when the bolt is in this position, andthe lutter being thus sustained against the explosion of the charge intiring; and when the said boltis turned to bring the i lugs thereof inline with the grooves'c between the ribs, the'bloek may beb'rought haeltlongitudinally with the lugs sliding in the aforesaid grooves, thusopening the breech to permit the insertion of the cartridge through theopening a, as just set forth. Formed near the forward end of therecoibbolt, circumferentially in the underl side thereof, is a broadgroove, e, into which is fitted the upwardly-projecting spur c of thecxtrn'etcr'G, the tooth d of which, being situated in front of the ianchor rim of the cartridgc-shell, tcts to withdraw the same from the barrelwhen the recoil-bolt is drawn back as just mentioned.. Formed in thebottom of the forward part, B, ofthe breech-receiver, one near each endof such portion, are two slots, fg, through the forward one, f, of whichworks the curved or convex part of a spring, t, secured to the underside of the receiver, and which may be formed in one piece with anotherspring, z', the extremity o`f which formsa prong, e, extending upthrough the slot g, as shown in igs. 1 and 6, the functions of the saidsprings being hereinafter made to fully appear. I represents a shield,arc-shaped or semioircular in its cross-section, and attached to therecoil-bolt h v a solid connecting-piece, j, at the forward end thereof,and so arranged that when the recoil-bolt is broughtinto position toclose the breech, as hereinbefore explained, it will cover the openingat. as shown in iig. 1, and when the recoil-bolt is drawn baci: to openthe breech, will be brought outside of the rear portion ofthe-brecch-rcceiver, as shown in tig. 6. This shield is furnished at itsforward end with knobs, k, by which the recoil-bolt connected therewithmay be'eonveniently manipulated in opening or closing the breech, nsAthe case may be. The tiring-pin is shown at J,- and passes through asuitable slot, provided centrally in the recoil-beit, und

' is of such length that when the breech is closed, its rearmost ondwill still project into the lock-frame D, as indicated in iig. 1. Theforward portion, a*, of this firing-pin is `reduced in diameter, and hasplaced around i?, Within a cavity formed for the purpose, a spiralspring, h*, which tends to press back the ming-pin, which, furthermore,is formed with a transverse oblong slot, through whi-h--passes a pin,0*, the said pin serving to limit the backward movement ofthe tiring-pinwith reference to the recoil-bolt, and also causing the firing-pin `toturn with the said recoil-bolt when the same is turned upon itslongitudinal airis, as hercinbefre explained. -At the rearmost end ofthe firing-pin is a radial spur, di. When the recoil-bolt il forwardto'close the breech, und the hammer K is down, as shown in g. 1, this spurd* is fitted into n notch, e*, provided in the front part of theloch-frame D, the said spur being pressed into the aforesaid notch bythe pressureof tho inmimer upon it. he innermost side of the hammer isrecessed or cnt away, as shown atfl, in such manner that when the hammeris brought back, as, for instance, to half cock," and the spur d* isbrought out of the recess' just mentioned and turned upward into a.vertical position, it may pas@ the hammer when the recoil-bolt, with,

the firing-pin attached thereto, is brqngbtback, as hereinbeforeexplained, to unclose the breech.

Formed in the bottom of the rear part, C, ofthe breech-receiver B C, isan opening, 9*, which also extends. through the stock, and the object ofwhich is to provide a means whereby,'whcn. the breech-receiver andthevrecoil-bolt are cleaned, by pouring water into the said receiver throughthe upper opening, a, thereof, and working the recoil-bolt backward andforward, the dirt und extraneous matter, together with the water, mayfreely paas' out or escupe therefrom. y i I VIn order to load the arm,the hammer is first brought back to half cock," thus allowing the spiralspring b* to force back the firing-pin J until its spur d* clears therecess e*. The recoil-bolt, together with the shield I attached thereto,is turned toward the left hand, upon the longitudinal axis ofthe saidbolt,'thus bringing the lugs d of the recoil-bolt in linowith thegrooves c between the ribs b, as hcreinbefore explained, and, utthosaino time, turns the tiring-pin, so that its spur d is brought intoa vertical 'or nearly vertical position, 'which being done, therecoil-bolt is brought longitudinally back within the receiver, the lugsd traversing the -grooves e between the rilzs b and the recessf* in. theinner side of the hammer, permitting the spur L*, in its verticalposition, to pass the said hammer. As the recoil-bolt is thus drawnback, the tooth dof the extractor; catching in the ordinary manner uponthe auch or rim of the cartridge-shell, draws back the same untiltherear end of the extractor strikes the fixed stud a", which tilts.upward the-forward end of the extractor, and the suddenness and force ofsuch tilting movement of the extractor being very materially increasedby the upward pressure of.

the spring i', the cartridge-shell is thrown completely out ofthebreech-receiver, through theopening a, uncovered by tho backwardmovement of the sheild I with the recoilbolt, as hereinbefore full;` setforth.

As the rocoibbolt is thus moved back, the curved portion of the spring hprojects 'upward through the slot f,.in the position shown in fig. 1.The breech being thus opened, and the empty shell ejected from the arm,the

cartridge for the succeeding charge is dropped into thc forward partofthe breech-receiver, its hunched-or butt part passing through theenlarged rear portion, a', of the opening a, and dropping with -theilanch behind the tooth d of the extractor, whereupon the recoil-bolt ispushed forward, and forcing thecaltridgc befcreihvforcos the same intoits piace in the barrel, the inclined or curved surface of the spring hacting as a guide to, prevent the cartridge from striking at the forwardend of the'breech-receiver as it enters the barrel. This being done,

the recoil-bolt is turned to bring its lugs in front of the shoulders b,formed by the forward ends of the ribs b,

thus closing the breech, as herein fully described, the recoil-boltbeing held in this position by a supplemental spring frictiomcatch, b,attached at one side of the breech-receiver, and catching iutoa suitablenotchy'formud near the edge of the shs'ld I, the spur d* of thetiring-pin being at the same time brought into its original positionwith regard to the recess ei, and in front ofthe striking surface orportion of the hammer, in such bolt is not in the proper position, beingprevented bythe striking, which would occur, of the Aspur d* of the4firingpin upon that portion of the jlocky'frame adjacent to theaforesaid recess, e*.

In figs. 8, 9, and 10 is shawn a modification, whereby the principle ofthe invention may be employed in the conversion of muzzle-loading tobreech-loading arms, and which dilers, for themost part, from theconstruction hithcrto herein-described, in this, that the strikingsurface, which actnates the ringn-pin, instead'lof being-formed directlyupon the hammer, is constituted by the forward end of a rod, indicatedat m, and formed upon a sliding piece, L, forced forward in firing bythe impact `of" the hammer upon it. The-rod m is so arranged that whenthe recoil-bolt isin position to close the breech, the spur d* of thefiring-pin thereof will Vbe situated in front of the said rod, so thatthe forward movement of the latter willV operate the firing-pin to'gntethe cartridge, and when the recoil-bolt is turned preparatory tobringing back the same, the spur will bc lbrought out of line with thesaid rod, so as to permit such movement of the bolt; the rod, as therecoil-bolus thus bronght baclf, entering a hole formed in the latterparallel with the firing-pin, as shownpin tig. 9, whereby tlrejustmentioned movement thereof is allowed; In this case', as in theother hereinbeforc described, the width of the for ward portion 0 theopening a, throughA which the body of the cartridge is passed toA thebreech-receiver, is

less than the diameter of the recoil-*bolt working within the saidreceiver,so that any tilting upward of the' forward portion of therecoil-bolt, which wouldvbe "caused if the width of such part of theopening were equal to thc diameter of the aforesaid bolt, is effectuallyprovided against.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The external shield I, in combination with the recoil-bolt,.constructed and operated as described, sub`- stantially as and for thepurpose specified. v

2. The firing-pin J, in combinalion, substantially as described, withthe recoil-bolt F, und the hammerl or striking-device, whereby, when thereoil-bolt is turned preparatory to opening'the breech, the firing-pin`shall be turned or brought out of line or contact with the said hammeror device, substantially ns and for thepu'rpose specified. i v 3. Thehead d* of the firing-pin, arranged in relation with the recess e* andthe hammer, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The arrangement of thehead d* of the firing-pin with reference to,the recessed portionf* ofthe hammer.

substantially as and for the purpose specified.

' J. W. COCHRAN.

Witnesses:

A. La Canne, J; W. Cooifss.

